CBER Seminar - Rodolfo Assis Magalhães & Caroline Chandler
Rodolfo Assis Magalhães - "Spatiotemporal impacts of human activities on biodiversity: from a Brazilian armadillo to Latin American mammals."
&
Caroline Chandler - "The impact of neonicotinoids on fluctuating asymmetry and body size of Vespula vulgaris"
CBER Internal Seminar
Date: 02 Jun 2025
Speakers: Rodolfo Assis Magalhães & Caroline Chandler
Room: G O Schild LT, Medical Sciences
Time: 1-2pm
For those at UCL East, there will be a live screening of the seminar in 1 Pool Street, People and Nature Lab, Room 219B.
You can also join us remotely via the Teams link below.
Rodolfo Assis Magalhães
Title: Spatiotemporal impacts of human activities on biodiversity: from a Brazilian armadillo to Latin American mammals.
Abstract: Human activity is leading to unprecedented rates of population declines and species’ extinctions worldwide. Hence, knowing where and when wild things are can help to improve species management and the effectiveness of conservation actions. However, there is a persistent gap in understanding of how mammal communities respond spatially and temporally to human disturbance on broader scales and in different ecosystems in regions where this understanding is most needed, such as Latin America. Since 2022, we have been conducting participatory research using camera traps in a rural landscape in the Caatinga dry forests of northeast Brazil to better understand the spatial and temporal ecology of the threatened Brazilian three-banded armadillo and develop evidence-based efforts towards its conservation. My PhD research extends this approach, by investigating the distribution and diel activity of Latin American mammals using camera trap data collected by researchers from different countries in the region, aiming to generate useful information for the management of those species.
Bio: Rodolfo Magalhães is a PhD student at CBER/UCL and IoZ/ZSL supervised by Dr Tim Newbold, Dr Marcus Rowcliffe, and Dr Chris Carbone. His PhD project aims to investigate the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the distribution and diel activity of Latin American mammals using camera trap data. Rodolfo is also an Associate Researcher at the NGO Instituto Tamanduá in Brazil, where he coordinates community-based research and conservation efforts mainly focused on armadillos in the Caatinga dry forests, especially the threatened Brazilian three-banded armadillo. He is also an alumnus of ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme, during which he started developing his current work in the Caatinga. Rodolfo is committed to bridge the gap between scientific research and on-the-ground biodiversity conservation and empower local communities to lead research and conservation initiatives in Latin America.
Caroline Chandler
Title: The impact of neonicotinoids on fluctuating asymmetry and body size of Vespula vulgaris
Abstract: While there is a significant body of research linking neonicotinoid use with species decline amongst bees, their impacts upon wasps are less well understood. This seminar presents preliminary research into the impact of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin) on the development of Vespula vulgaris during pupation by assessing the correlation between neonicotinoid concentrations in different locations across England and Wales with the relative body size and level of fluctuating asymmetry measured in wasps trapped in the vicinity.
Bio: I’m a first year PhD student on the UK Food Systems CDT, working in the Sumner lab to understand how social wasps (specifically Vespula vulgaris) can contribute to a more sustainable approach to agriculture in the UK. In particular, I’m interested in their role as generalised predators and how they might work with UK farmers to support a reduction in pesticide use.
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Rodolfo Assis Magalhães
PhD candidate
UCL
Rodolfo Magalhães is a PhD student at CBER/UCL and IoZ/ZSL supervised by Dr Tim Newbold, Dr Marcus Rowcliffe, and Dr Chris Carbone. His PhD project aims to investigate the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the distribution and diel activity of Latin American mammals using camera trap data. Rodolfo is also an Associate Researcher at the NGO Instituto Tamanduá in Brazil, where he coordinates community-based research and conservation efforts mainly focused on armadillos in the Caatinga dry forests, especially the threatened Brazilian three-banded armadillo. He is also an alumnus of ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme, during which he started developing his current work in the Caatinga. Rodolfo is committed to bridge the gap between scientific research and on-the-ground biodiversity conservation and empower local communities to lead research and conservation initiatives in Latin America.
Caroline Chandler
PhD candidate
UCL
I’m a first year PhD student on the UK Food Systems CDT, working in the Sumner lab to understand how social wasps (specifically Vespula vulgaris) can contribute to a more sustainable approach to agriculture in the UK. In particular, I’m interested in their role as generalised predators and how they might work with UK farmers to support a reduction in pesticide use.